Hi there, welcome. In today’s blogpost, I will be answering one of you ladies most frequently asked question that goes “what wattage led lamp do I need for gel nails?” All the information is right here in this blog post so make sure you read it to the end.
Let’s quickly talk about the difference between LED and UV lights before we dig deeper.
- LED lamps are more expensive than UV lamps. Which make LED lamps more long lasting.
- LED cure gel nails faster compared to UV lamps. That fact alone is what makes Led lamps preferable.
- One of the main thing that makes them different is the lights that they emit. UV lamps emit a broader spectrum of wavelengths whilst LED lamps emit a narrow spectrum of wavelengths.
But today our major focus is going to be on LED lamps.
What is A LED Lamp?
For gel nails there are two types of lamps used for curing, it is either the UV lamp or the LED lamp. Due to the dangers associated with using UV lamps, it is safer and faster to use LED lamps. A LED lamp used for nails is a box shaped light with several LED lamp beads and reflectors inside it.
How to Use An LED Lamp For Your Nails
- Switch on the LED lamp.
- Adjust the settings.
- After prepping your nails, apply a base coat. Then place your nails into the LED lamp for 60 seconds just to ensure the basecoat is strong enough.
- After curing the base move on to the next coat.
- Cure for about 10 – 15 seconds.
- Apply a top coat.
- Cure for another 60 seconds to lock all the content in.
The Composition Of Both LED And UV Lamps
An average UV lamp has a bulb life of 1,000 hours and I will highly recommend that the bulbs are changed every six months. LED lamps can last for about 50,000 hours so really, you don’t have to bother about changing the bulb for a LED lamp.
What Wattage LED Lamp Do I Need for Gel Nails?
To answer your frequently asked question, at least 36 watts for LED lamp will do the trick as it will cure in 30 seconds because the higher the watts the faster it cures the gel nails. The wattage of LED lamps goes as high as 80 watts for more time efficiency (it will cure in 10 seconds). An 80 watt LED lamp will give a much more seamless and professional finish, it will also give better results.
How Long Does It Take A LED Lamp To Cure?
Curing gel nails with LED lamps will take approximately 30 – 60 seconds.
Can I Cure A Gel Nail Without A LED Or UV Lamps?
Yes, you can but it will not give off a seamless or professional finish. To achieve curing your gel nails without any of the lamps, you will have to use thin layers of gel polish and soak your nails in super cold water or dry with cold air.
You can also fast drying top coat. Using a non UV or LED gel polish that requires no exposure to any of the lamps can be an option. You should also note that your gel polish will not last as long if you do not use any of the lamps compared to how long it will last if you use either a UV lamp or LED lamp.
Summary
Did you know that LED lamps cannot cure all gel nail polishes? And that is because some gel polish was designed to be cured by UV light.
So ensure you check that the nail polish being used is compatible with a LED lamp. LED lamp takes 30 seconds to cure a layer of gel polish but it takes UV lamps 2 minutes to cure a layer of gel polish.
There is this notion that UV lights increases your chances to have cancer, whilst that has not been proven yet, it is safe to say LED lamps are safer to use as it does not make you prone to cancer.
I hope you have learnt something new today? Please feel free to let me know what you learnt in the comment section.
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